Day three was a three movie day. Cue the violins and choral swells. Get out a few pails of fake blood. White backlight ready? Unpack those nineteenth century costumes from 12 Years a Slave. Cotton fields ready to harvest? Time for the much promoted Birth of a Nation, touted as an Oscar contender, surrounded by a bit of controversy regarding a past incident involving the director/star. High expectations. Collective (deserved) residual guilt about the treatment of black slaves in the US.
Nate Parker (where did he come from?) takes a Mel Gibson approach to writing, directing and starring in this film that actually reminded me of Braveheart. Lots of testosterone and high drama. A final sacrifice of the hero that almost seems like a crucifixion.
It will do well at the box office, will be heavily promoted by the distributer who has paid through the nose to get it and it will be Oscar fodder. I give it 3 out of 5. We have seen all this before.
Loving is a true story about an interracial Virginia couple ( who just happen to have the surname Loving) who, in 1958, went out of state to be married but were arrested when they returned home. Interracial marriage in Virginia was illegal. “God made Robbins and sparrows different and there is a reason for that”. “God put black people and white people and brown people and yellow people on different continents because he wanted them to be separate.” The Lovings were made to plead guilty and agree to leave the state for 25 years. 
Eventually in 1967, in my adult lifetime, their case was heard before the Supreme Court and became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights movement. The court overturned state laws prohibiting interracial marriages – a hangover from the slave days I had just watched in Birth of a Nation. I saw these two shows back to back and it felt like a prolonged history lesson.
I found Loving to be slow. It took almost ten years for this couple to achieve their right to be married and at times it felt like that. Lots of silences and thinking going on. At 123 minutes, it was about 23 minutes too long. It was touching – the lady behind me used a lot of Kleenex. Like Birth of a Nation, I give it 3 out of 5.
I am glad that I got a ticket to see Weirdos, a film by Canadian film maker Bruce McDonald ( born in Kingston) written by Daniel McIvor ( writer of Kingston Storefront favourite, Cul de Sac). Shot in black and white in Nova Scotia, and set in 1976, this movie follows two teenagers – Kit (Dylan Authors) and Alice ( Julia Sarah Stone) as they hitchhike their way from Antigonish to Sydney accompanied by the spirit of Andy Warhol. Of course they learn things about themselves, each other, and their families along the way. Sounds trite and a bit formulaic but it doesn’t come off that way at all.
I am always intrigued by films in black and white. They add a certain nostalgia – think of Nebraska or even The Artist. The sound track to this film was also lots of great 70’s music, mostly Canadian.
The cast was all excellent and naturally amiable. And Canadian to the core, I might add. Both young lead actors were wonderful to watch. I loved Molly Parker’s portrayal of Kit’s eccentric mother. It suddenly dawned on me that she plays Jackie Sharpe on Netflix House of Cards. Rys Bevan-John as Andy Warhol’s presence was quirky and lots of fun to watch.
Who knows where this movie will show up – not the blockbuster appeal or marketing of the other two I saw today, but I hope you get to see it. I was moved by its nostalgia. The mood, the music, the cars, the clothes, the Canadiana were all very satisfying. It gets my first 5 star kudo.
Will there be another? Running oit of time.
On further reflection, I started to wonder why I had such a strong component (42%) of Western European genes. According to this analysis, my DNA distribution is almost the same as people who currently live in Western Europe, and not as compatible with natives of Britain or Ireland. Maybe it was because many of my UK relatives originated way back in Western Europe. Certainly migration has happened over the centuries. But still, Western European DNA markers making up the major contribution of my genetic material seemed a bit strange.
Then, Ancestry told me that there is a strong possibility that I am related to Sarah Jane Busenbark since I share many genetic markers with several people in her family. Where on earth did this come from? Well, Busenbark is a modification of Busenberg, a German name – fits with my Western European genetic make-up. And I have one great grandfather whose identity remains a mystery. I could have received an eighth of my genetic material, or even more from this unknown donor to my gene pool.
The Storefront Festival converted empty spaces into unique venues that offered a wide range of productions over about 10 days. My favourite was Cul de Sac, a Daniel MacIvor play. In this one woman show, Anne Marie Bergman, under the direction of Will Britton, presented an engaging story told by several memorable characters. And they were characters indeed.
For a few weeks, I worked with a group of Kingston theatre friends on a Single Thread production of Ambrose – Re-imagined. I loved this unique theatre experience last year when it was presented for the first time so I was delighted when creator Liam Karry asked me to join the cast for this newly re-imagined version. Liam likes to surprise audiences and have them experience theatre in non-traditional settings. In this show, audience members made a journey through many hidden areas of the Grand Theatre to meet up with characters who have had some connection to the mysterious Ambrose Small. Ambrose was an Ontario Theatre magnate who disappeared on December 2, 1919 the day after receiving a million dollars for the sale of the many theatres in Ontario that he owned, including Kingston’s Grand. His spirit is known to haunt the theatre with many people over the years, actors and employees, having had a ghostly experience in the Grand. The mystery of his disappearance was never solved.
In mid August I also took in a Single Thread production of Salt Water Moon that was “staged” on the steps of the University Club, outdoors on a sultry summer evening. This is a great little play and was wonderfully presented. The setting was absolutely perfect for this piece.
Firstly, this had the potential to be a huge security risk. Over 25,000 people jammed into a market square and flowing into the neighbouring streets and the Prime Minister glad-handing people in the street would not only be a terrorist’s dream in some places but the potential for a few drunk yahoo’s to disrupt it was almost unavoidable. But it didn’t happen. The crowd was orderly and … Canadian. Yes there was the occasional, or not so occasional, waft of marijuana. But that only led to more singing and dancing and air-guitaring. There was security around but not that evident. No guns on display. People checking bags at the entry points to the venue were wearing t-shirts, not uniforms. Everyone was polite. The energy was all celebratory.
Secondly, our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, an acknowledged Hip fan was there to celebrate with us. He walked through the mob in Market Square just before the concert and shook hands and took selfies and smiled in his jean jacket and Tragic
Last, but not least, was the courage and determination and resolution that Gord Downie showed in not wallowing in his sorrow and illness but living life to the fullest despite a dismal prognosis. I was tired from standing the three hours for the concert in the square., How exhausted must he have been after dancing and singing his way through the concert, the last of several this month, despite his recent surgery, radiation and chemo treatments for his cancer. This, to me, was really something incredible and an example to all of us not to give in to our troubles, but to live every moment fiercely. We are all dying at some point.
johnageddes 